PRESENTS ZOOM PRODUCTION NOTES A film by Pedro Morelli Starring Gael García Bernal, Alison Pill, Mariana Ximenes, Don McKellar Tyler Labine, Jennifer Irwin and Jason Priestley Theatrical Release Date: September 2, 2016 Run Time: 96 Minutes Rating: Not Rated Official Website: www.zoomthefilm.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/screenmediafilm Twitter: @screenmediafilm Instagram: @screenmediafilms Theater List: http://screenmediafilms.net/productions/details/1782/zoom Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=m80faf0iu3o Publicity Contact: Prodigy PR, 310-857-2020 Alex Klenert, ak@prodigypublicrelations.com Rob Fleming, rf@prodigypublicrelations.com
Screen Media Films, Elevation Pictures, Paris Filmes,and WTFilms present a Rhombus Media and O2 Filmes production, directed by Pedro Morelli and starring Gael García Bernal, Alison Pill, Mariana Ximenes, Don McKellar, Tyler Labine, Jennifer Irwin and Jason Priestley in the feature film ZOOM. ZOOM is a fast-paced, pop-art inspired, multi-plot contemporary comedy. The film consists of three seemingly separate but ultimately interlinked storylines about a comic book artist, a novelist, and a film director. Each character lives in a separate world but authors a story about the life of another. The comic book artist, Emma, works by day at an artificial love doll factory, and is hoping to undergo a secret cosmetic procedure. Emma s comic tells the story of Edward, a cocky film director with a debilitating secret about his anatomy. The director, Edward, creates a film that features Michelle, an aspiring novelist who escapes to Brazil and abandons her former life as a model. Michelle, pens a novel that tells the tale of Emma, who works at an artificial love doll factory And so it goes... ZOOM is an English language film that was shot in Toronto, Canada, and Trindade and São Paulo, Brazil. ZOOM marks the first feature-length film for director Pedro Morelli with a screenplay by Matt Hansen. The film is an international co-production and was produced by Niv Fichman (ENEMY, ANTIVIRAL) of Canada s award-winning Rhombus Media and by Andrea Barata Ribeiro of Brazil s award winning O2 Filmes. It was executive produced by Fernando Meirelles (CITY OF GOD) and Paulo Morelli (CITY OF MEN), both also O2 Filmes. This is the second project produced by Rhombus and O2 Filmes, following Fernando Meirelles BLINDNESS in 2008. Completing the creative team were production designer Elisa Sauvé (TREADING WATER), cinematographer Adrian Teijido (THE CLOWN), editor Lucas Gonzaga
(TWO RABBITS), and world renowned DJ Kid Koala, making his feature film debut as composer. Director s Note It's an incredible feeling after spending five and a half years working on this project to see it come to completion. ZOOM was a wild and crazy shoot in such a short period of time, having been shot in 26 days in total across Canada and Brazil. It was an adventure and a huge challenge to shoot with three different looks, in two different countries, and using a variety of experimental and challenging techniques (animation, VFX scenes, etc.). The project started when our producer, Niv Fichman, invited me to make this film. He always strives to work with young filmmakers with fresh ideas. I was 23 when he asked me to work on the project and he always encouraged me to go for it, with no limitations, and to make no concessions. Of course, my aim is always to create something that people will want to watch when they go to the theatres, but I ve found that unlimited creativity and freedom can be great tools to produce universally popular films. My biggest inspiration for this film was Charlie Kaufman, in terms of the way he organizes his stories and the mathematical structure that he uses for his films. Kaufman s influence can be seen in the puzzle-like structure of the film. Having three parallel stories gave me the freedom to explore various aesthetics; the film is one part animation and two parts live action, and the live action sequences have two very distinct looks. With Niv s support, I knew this would be an amazing experience with the ability to play with different tones within the same film. At its heart, ZOOM is a metalinguistic comedy, where the stories and looks change and evolve as each character creates another. Once the characters come full circle, the three stories connect and weave together in a magical and (hopefully) unpredictable way. - Pedro Morelli
About The Production Pedro Morelli made an impression on Rhombus Media s Niv Fichman from the beginning. In 2008, Pedro worked on the film BLINDNESS as an apprentice to director Fernando Meirelles. Fernando gave Pedro the task of working with the extras, which proved to be quite a challenge as the extras had the difficult task of acting like they were blind", explains Fichman. Pedro's experience on BLINDNESS and his expertise in working with extras made him a sought after first-time filmmaker. I was really impressed with him, Fichman continues. I said to him Hey, if you want to think about a film to do, I will produce your first feature. Pedro jumped at the chance. It all started with Niv, explains director Pedro Morelli. He invited me to do this project. He was very encouraging. Fichman gave Morelli the creative freedom to devise the twisted world of ZOOM. With this freedom, Morelli continues. I thought it would be great to have three different tones in the film. Fichman introduced Morelli to screenwriter Matt Hansen and the two began creating the distinct universes of ZOOM. The inspiration originally came from Pedro and his crazy mind. He had this idea that he pitched to Niv about having these multiple realities, I can't remember if it was a producer, an author and a comic book artist, but it was similar to what we have now, Hansen explains. Originally, the film was similar to INCEPTION, in that it started with one reality point and went further into one s consciousness. This changed when I suggested that we do the film Escher staircase style where we would have four different worlds affecting one another. Conceptually, this idea sounded really cool, but we soon realized that realistically the idea was fairly complicated, because four connected planes of existence is a tough story to map out. We then cut the film down to three stories, which led us to create ZOOM. The concept of each character s actions affecting the others touched the actors. We are all each other s creations in one way or another, says actress Alison Pill. If you don t have your own firm identity and self-knowledge, then you re just at the whim of other people. ZOOM was shot in Canada and Brazil in 26 days. Post-production was also divided between the two countries, with sound completed in Canada and picture post-production done in Brazil, including more than 20,000 hand-drawn frames for the animated portion of the film.
The Three Realities of ZOOM Emma // The Cartoonist Emma works in a factory that makes love dolls. But when she looks in the mirror, Emma tends to compare herself to the dolls and becomes dissatisfied with her own flawed body. And so, she decides to invest her savings in breast implant surgery. The surgery endows Emma with enormous breasts, just like the dolls. But she has a hard time getting used to their presence and begins to feel like a stranger in her own body. Emma questions her decision and ultimately tries to get the implants removed. Unfortunately, she doesn't have enough money left for the surgical reversal. That's when her creator, Michelle, alters her fate when the mailman delivers a mysterious box full of cocaine to her doorstep. At a loss as to what she should do, Emma seeks out help from Bob, her best friend, work colleague, and occasional sex buddy. Together they come up with a plan to sell the drugs using one of the dolls as transport. The thing about Emma is that a lot of people know a girl like this, says writer Matt Hansen. She s nerdy but not in a pejorative kind of way. She s caught up in this society of perfect appearances, but unable to see her own inner beauty. Emma s inner beauty captivated producer Niv Fichman as well. Emma is someone who I would love to meet, says Fichman. She s a secret artist, she draws really well. I feel sorry for her because she has this problem where she is not as confident as she looks and wants to be augmented. But this unrealistic image of beauty is something society has imposed on all of us and that is one of the main themes of the film. The character of Emma was always meant for the acting style of Alison Pill. Often you have ideal people that you want for each role and because this is a co-production, you need to have Brazilian actors and Canadian actors, explains Fichman. When we were writing the film, Alison was definitely one of our top picks for the role. The character was created around the persona that we thought she would be able to play well. Alison is a great actress, agrees Morelli. We had an incredible time doing it and she s a very sensitive actress and brought the right tone to the character.
In her free time, Emma likes to draw cartoons and creates a comic book about the life of a filmmaker named Edward. Edward // The Filmmaker Edward is designed by Emma to be the perfect man. Charming, handsome and sexy, he is a successful action film director. Immersed in a world of fame, fortune and vanity, he craves to be recognized for his artistic sensibility. Edward's problems begin when his penis dramatically shrinks overnight - the result of a derisive practical joke by his creator Emma, who holds his destiny in her hands. This sudden and senseless mutation leaves Edward in despair. Edward's luck continues to collapse when he shows his artsy film to the producers. They hate it and force Edward to reshoot the ending. They want a more commercial product - chock full of action and adventure. Edward reluctantly travels to Brazil to shoot the new scenes, albeit depressed by the producers interference. All seems lost until he finds what appears to be a solution: a state-of-the-art artificial penis, indistinguishable from its natural counterpart - the Suprenis. With his head back in the clouds, Edward has a plan - he will use the Suprenis to seduce Marissa, the all-powerful executive producer, and resume control of his oeuvre. The character of Edward is far too familiar to those in the film industry. Edward s a caricature of a variety of directors in movies that both Niv and I have come across over the years, in that he s a commercial guy who is trying to make something meaningful or arty, says Hansen. He s a parody of that type of filmmaker, the process of making a film as well as having various people influencing the work, for better or worse. When casting Gael García Bernal, the filmmakers agreed that the actor s natural confidence and sensitivity would lend itself well to the character. Gael is the perfect guy to play Edward, explains Fichman. You can feel his confidence, but at the same time, because he is so humble inside, you can feel his loss when he loses everything. Edward's latest project is a movie about a successful Brazilian fashion model who strives to be a novelist.
Michelle // The Novelist Michelle is a Brazilian fashion model living in Toronto. She dreams of becoming a novelist - despite the discouragement of her manager (and boyfriend) Dale. But when Michelle shows an incomplete manuscript to a respected publisher, he thinks it has great potential and encourages her to complete it. In order to concentrate on finishing the book, Michelle escapes to Brazil so she can focus exclusively on her work. When she arrives at a small fishing village in Brazil, she faces a reality check. Instead of enjoying the picturesque ambiance and feeling inspired, the pressure to meet her deadline gives her creative block. Michelle feels that her beauty puts her at a disadvantage, which fuels her insecurity about her ability as a writer. That's when she meets Alice, a hotel owner, who helps her see the world differently. Alice's spirit loosens Michelle and her writing gets back on track. Enchanted by her newfound freedom, Michelle gives in to her instincts and has an affair with Alice. Michelle's story is gradually transformed into an action-packed thriller when Dale shows up in Brazil to capture Michelle and bring her home. Michelle s character was created around the concept that one should not judge a book by its cover. Michelle is that kind of girl who people think is just beautiful, says Hansen. She has all these advantages in life she goes to the front of the line, she can get what average people can t and she sees the benefits and disadvantages to that one of them being that she is not taken seriously as a writer because she s only seen as beautiful. ZOOM delves into Michelle s true self, past her beautiful exterior, exposing the artist within. Michelle, similar to the other characters, is a little bit lost and needs to find herself, explains Fichman. Only she s probably the most lost out of the three of them. ZOOM found the right qualities in Brazilian actress Mariana Ximenes. Mariana is perfect because she s beautiful but she s also smart, says Hansen of the likeness between Ximenes and Michelle. I bet you if you spoke with her, she has dealt with similar problems in real life not just because she is famous but because she is beautiful. Mariana is fantastic actor; she s very famous in Brazil for her television work, says Fichman. She s the perfect person for this role because she s gorgeous but has a deep intelligence that shines through. Throughout her story, Michelle is writing a book about Emma, which closes the circle between the three universes.
More About The Production The Animation Process The animation process created new design possibilities for the creators of ZOOM. Everything was shot in front of green screens and we drew the backgrounds, explains producer Niv Fichman. It s not dissimilar from shooting the scenes on location, except that it s a lot cheaper because in drawing the backdrops, you can easily create scenes that are more fantastical. Film shots that would have been immensely elaborate were simplified by the use of animation. There s a shot that moves through the entire city and goes through the glass into Edward's living room, Fichman continues. This sequence would have been very difficult to do as a live action sequence, but we were able to achieve the look through animation. The style of acting of the cast remains genuine within the process of animating live footage. "For the actors, we used rotoscope techniques, meaning we drew them frame by frame which allowed us to modify colours and everything else we wanted to play with," explains Morelli. "Our main references for the look were WAKING LIFE, SCANNER DARKLY and WALTZ WITH BASHIR, but as we were aiming for a cartoon look, we were also taking that specific style into account." "We built a 3D space in post, which allowed us to have the camera moving inside a comic book world that we created," continues Morelli. "Through working with animation, we were able to match the look of specific lenses and dolly motions, and yet fine tune the image and background to look like a cartoon." The animation process represented a significant portion of work that was completed in Brazil. There were over 20 artists drawing every day for five months, frame by frame. "It is a third of the film, about 30 minutes of animation, drawing 12 frames per second for a total of 20,000 frames, equalling a huge amount of work," explains Morelli. Filming in Brazil and Canada Filming in Brazil and Canada was both challenging and rewarding. Brazil is a huge country and has a population almost as big as the United States, explains Fichman. The country has a large domestic film market with an amazing film funding infrastructure based on tax credits. Their system is set up in such a way that if a company or an individual invests in your film then they can take the money they donated and deduct it from their own taxes. It is really a beneficial system that encourages companies to get involved in funding films. The differences in film production rules and regulations created obstacles for the filmmakers, but the passion of filmmaking transcends borders. Every country where you shoot has its own cultural code, Fichman explains about filming in Brazil. Film infrastructures tend to be similar no matter where you shoot, so it s not that different on a set in São Paulo versus Toronto. The crews in Brazil may have a slightly different way of working and a varied food culture, but the practices and passion of filmmaking are almost always the same anywhere you go.
Designing Zoom Each layer of ZOOM required a different design. Pedro said from the beginning that he had a very clear vision that each character would inhabit a very different world, says production designer Elisa Sauvé. Sauvé researched one character at a time and defined each of the character s realities according to their unique qualities. We started with Edward and figured out his personality, what his world was like, what kind of a guy he was, says Sauvé. He lives in a penthouse apartment and is a successful director. So we began by mentally placing him in the real world, and then conducted tests to see where he would live, work and socialize. Sauvé and Morelli drew inspiration from an array of past works. They began to watch films from different genres of animation to define the design of ZOOM. We looked at all types of stories from A SCANNER DARKLY to CHUCK JONES and Bugs Bunny to try and determine the feel that the film should have, Sauvé explains. For each character, Sauvé and Morelli altered various perspectives and techniques when designing the character's spaces and lives. Emma s world is a very asphyxiating and controlled one. Everything is specifically designed, and there is a lot of symmetry image-wise, especially in the beginning, when the character is more in control of her life. And then, as she makes certain choices, things start to spin out of control, which is reflected in the chaos of her once organized space" Sauvé continues. "We went for a very precise look in Emma s world, agrees Morelli. The camera doesn't move often but when it does it's purposeful, and the framings are very symmetrical. We played with geometrical framing quite a lot for her scenes. "In contrast, for Michelle s story, we went for a totally different look, where the camera never stops in the same place, and is always moving," Morelli continues. "We used steadicams and a lamda head for several of the scenes with Michelle. We also shot many scenes in slow motion for this story, so you get a dreamy vibe from those sequences. The editing of the film was also strategically done in accordance to each character. For Emma's story, I shot knowing exactly how we were going to edit, as each shot was carefully constructed, says Morelli. In Michelle's world, the editing was a bit more experimental and done to match the movement of the camera work. And in Edward's sequences, the editing was all about the animation, which was a completely new experience for me as a filmmaker."
About The Cast Gael García Bernal as Edward Gael García Bernal was born in Mexico. He made his acting film debut in Iñárritu s AMORES PERROS, and gained notable attention for his roles in Alfonso Cuarón s Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN, in Carlos Carrera s Academy Award nominated film EL CRIMEN DEL PADRE AMARO and in Walter Salles THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES. His other acting roles include Pedro Almodóvar s LA MALA EDUCACIÓN, Michel Gondry s THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP, Iñárritu s BABEL, Fernando Meirelles BLINDNESS, and Jim Jarmusch s THE LIMITS OF CONTROL. Bernal founded the film production company Canana with Diego Luna and Pablo Cruz in 2005. They also collectively run the Ambulante Documentary Film Festival. After directing a few short films, among them a tetralogy in collaboration with Amnesty International, Bernal directed his first feature DÉFICIT in 2007. Most recently, Bernal can be seen in Jon Stewart s biopic ROSEWATER, Pablo Fendrik's EL ARDOR, Jonas Cuarón s DESIERTO, and the new Amazon Studios web series MOZART IN THE JUNGLE, which aired in December 2014. Alison Pill as Emma Alison Pill was most recently seen in the acclaimed Aaron Sorkin HBO series The Newsroom, in the Joon-ho Bong directed SNOWPIERCER opposite John Hurt and Tilda Swinton, and in the Lionsgate feature COOTIES starring opposite Elijah Wood. On stage, she starred in the Geffen Playhouse adaptation of Wait Until Dark directed by Matt Shakman. Pill recently wrapped production on the Coen Brothers feature HAIL, CAESAR! Her other film credits include Woody Allen s TO ROME WITH LOVE and MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, GOON, SCOTT PILGRIM, MILK, DAN IN REAL LIFE, DEAR WENDY, and PIECES OF APRIL. Pill s
television work includes the HBO drama In Treatment, The Book Of Daniel and Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows. On stage, Pill starred opposite Ben Stiller in House of Blue Leaves and Edie Falco in This Wide Night and with Abigail Breslin in Broadway s revival of The Miracle Worker. Her other theatre credits include Reasons to be Pretty, Mauritius and Blackbird, for which she received Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle and The Drama League award nominations. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her Broadway debut in The Lieutenant of Inishmore and for a Lucille Lortel Award for On the Mountain. She won The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble in the U.S. premiere of The Distance From Here. Mariana Ximenes as Michelle Mariana Ximenes is an award winning Brazilian actress. She began her acting career when she was six years old by playing Cinderella in a school play. Ximenes wrote her first novel when she was thirteen years old, and had a role in the telenovela 74.5 Uma Onda No Ar.. However, her breakthrough came four years after the telenovela in Fascinacao, in which she played the character Emília. In the same year, she starred in her first theatrical film, CAMINHO DOS SONHOS, where she played the character of Ruth Stern. Her first major role was in 2000, starring in the soap Uga-Uga, playing the character of Bionda, which earned her public fame. Shortly afterward, in 2001, she made her first job as a voice actress, doing the voice of the character Sharon Spitz in the Brazilian dubbing for the Canadian animated series Braceface. In the same year, she played the character Isabel in the popular soap opera A Padroeira. In 2003, she played the character Rosário in A Casa Das Sete Mulheres, which was one of her most memorable characters throughout her career as an actress. In the same year, she played the character Ana Francisca, also known as Aninha, in the television series Chocolate Com Pimenta. In 2005, she played the soap opera rebel Raíssa in America. In recent years, her characters have gained great prominence in the media, starting with Lara on A Favorita, and being followed by Clara Medeiros, his first villain throughout her career, in the soap opera Passione. Her most recent role is Margarete in the upcoming feature film THE GREAT MYSTICAL CIRCUS opposite Vincent Cassel. Jason Priestley as Dale Jason Priestley is now in his third decade as an actor, director and producer. He continues to be one of the most versatile talents in the entertainment business both in front of and behind the camera. Now adding author to his resume, HarperCollins is publishing his memoir, Jason Priestley: A Memoir this spring. Best known for his role as Brendon Walsh on the iconic series Beverly Hills 90210, Priestley uses his trademark charm and candor to reflect on celebrity, marriage, fatherhood, his passion for car racing as well as his personal ups and downs during those years. Currently, Priestley is receiving accolades for having directed the independent Canadian film, CAS & DYLAN, starring Richard Dreyfuss and Tatiana Maslany. Since the film premiered in 2013, it has received recognition at the 2014 Gennie Awards for which it was nominated for Canadian Screen Award and Performance by an Actress in a Leading Roll for Tatiana
Maslany s performance. Additionally, the film was awarded with the Best Canadian Film award at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival s Film Circuit People s Choice awards and again with the Audience Award at the Whistler Film Festival in 2013 as well as Best Actress for Tatiana Maslany. The film will be showcased as the closing night film at the Palm Beach International Film Festival this spring. On the acting side, Priestley most recently completed a hugely successful run starring in the Canadian comedy series Call Me Fitz, which he also produced and directed several episodes of for four seasons. Priestley won multiple awards for the show including Best Comedy Actor at the Canadian Screen Awards in 2014, Best Comedy Actor at the Monte Carlo Television Festival in 2012, Best TV Performance by a Male at the Canadian Comedy Awards in 2011 and Best Actor Award at the Roma Fiction Festival in 2010. The series was also nominated for 16 Gemini Awards and won seven in 2011. Priestley has spent a good part of his career directing successful original cable programming including Global Television and ABC s Rookie Blue, CTV s Saving Hope and Syfy s Haven, on which he also guest starred. Priestley reunited with former co-star Luke Perry to direct the Hallmark Movie Channel original film, GOODNIGHT FOR JUSTICE. The made-for TV western delivered the highest ratings ever on the network. Priestley also directed numerous episodes of the ABC Family hit series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Other television directing credits include The Road Hammers, The Other Woman and The Lake. Beyond starring on Beverly Hills 90210, Priestley also directed multiple episodes throughout Season 3 through Season 7, as well as produced 35 episodes for Season 5 through Season 7 and executive produced 61 episodes for Season 7 through the final Season 9. Additional acting credits for Priestley include: the 1997 drama LOVE AND DEATH ON LONG ISLAND, the 1999 Thriller co-starring Ashley Judd and Ewan McGregor EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, Charles Busch s 2003 comedy DIE, MOMMIE, DIE!, the 2006 drama LOVE MONKEY, the 2007 drama A SIDE ORDER OF LIFE, BBC s 2009 modern-day sci-fi remake of THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, the 2010 thriller THE LAST RITES OF RANSOM PRIDE, the television drama series Tru Calling, the 2006 television series Masters of Horror, the television series Medium, and the hit comedy series My Name Is Earl. Priestley is a native of Vancouver, British Columbia and resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. Tyler Labine as Bob Nurturing an impressive body of work that encompasses comedy and drama, Tyler Labine s career continues to evolve with exciting and challenging projects. Posed to have a break-out year, Labine is inherently funny and automatic laugh-getter are just a few examples of what people are saying about his performances in his upcoming films. Labine stars in the hit comedy Deadbeat, which follows Kevin (Labine), a medium for hire who attempts to solve various ghosts unresolved problems so they can move on to a final resting place. The show airs on Hulu and will return for a second season. He recently stole the show on the CBS comedy Mad Love, about a foursome of New Yorkers looking for love. He starred in the CW drama Reaper for which he won back-to-back Leo Awards for Best Lead
Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series. Labine is also known for his role as a series regular on the ABC science fiction show Invasion as well as a starring role on ABC s hit legal show Boston Legal, which won 5 Emmy Awards and 4 Golden Globe Awards during its 5-year run. He also starred in the Fox series Sons Of Tucson, The NBC comedy Animal Practice and enjoyed the challenge of portraying John Belushi in the television film BEHIND THE CAMERA: THE UNAUTHORIZED STORY OF 'MORK & MINDY.' Segueing effortlessly between the big and small screens, Labine was recently seeing starring in film SOMEONE MARRY BARRY. In the film three friends plot to get rid of their socially inappropriate friend Barry (Labine) by finding him a wife, but when he meets a woman just like him, their problems double. He stars with Justin Long in the comedy BEST MAN DOWN. The story, about the best man at an Arizona destination wedding, Lumpy (Labine) is the life of the party, until a long, indulgent night leads to his untimely death. Additionally, Labine stars alongside Lucy Punch and Malin Akerman in the indie COTTAGE COUNTRY. Labine stars as a guy who wants everything to be just perfect at the family cottage where he plans to propose to girlfriend Cammie (Akerman). But things go awry with the arrival of Todd's slacker brother Salinger and his free-spirited girlfriend Masha (Punch). When he accidentally dispatches his irksome sibling with an axe, Cammie is determined not to let murder stand in the way of their happiness. In 2011, Labine played Franklin, lab partner to James Franco s character, in summer box office hit THE RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. He also starred alongside Jason Sudeikis in the comedy A GOOD OLD FASHIONED ORGY. The film is about a close group of 30- somethings who spend every summer weekend throwing elaborate theme parties. When someone decides to sell off their summer playground, the friends agree there is only one way to have the biggest and brashest send-off party, a good old-fashioned orgy. The film debuted to rave reviews at the Tribeca Film Festival was released in September 2011. Additionally, Tyler stars as Dale in TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL. The film, a hilariously gory, good-spirited horror comedy, follows two best friends on vacation at their dilapidated Appalachian mountain cabin that are mistaken for murderous backwoods hillbillies by a group of obnoxious, preppy college kids. When one of the students gets separated from her friends, Tucker and Dale try to lend a hand, but as the misunderstanding grows, so does the body count. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and Labine recently won the Leo Award for Best Lead Male Performance in a Feature Film for his work. The film has won the Audience Award and Midnight Movie Award at the South by Southwest Film and Music Festival, the Jury Prize for Best First Feature at Montreal s Fantasia Film Festival and the award for Best Feature Film from the AMPIA (Alberta Media Production Industries Association). His other film credits include MY BOSS'S DAUGHTER with Ashton Kutcher, ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO with Seth Rogen, FLYBOYS, TRIXIE, and ANTITRUST. In addition to his aptitude for acting, Labine continues to pursue his musical and creative talents. He recently finished production on MOUNTAIN MEN, which his brother, Cameron Labine, wrote and directed. Labine co-produced the film and stars in it with Chace Crawford. MOUNTAIN MEN debuted at the 2014 Whistler Film Festival last December. In 2004, Labine produced the film EVERYONE, which won the Best Film Award at the Montreal Film Festival. He and his brother, Cameron, co-wrote the film CONTROL ALT DELETE in which Tyler starred/produced and Cameron directed. Additionally, he executive-produced, starred in, wrote and co-directed the mockumentary EXTREME WALKING. A talented music producer and MC, Labine is a part of two bands. He formed the hip-hop band Self-Dep with his brother Kyle, Geoff Gustafson and Ryan Robbins and Demons are Real is an electro/indie/pop band he created with his brother Cameron.
A native of Canada, Labine began his career at the age of nine booking parts on television and professional theatre in Toronto, Ontario. He moved to Vancouver, British Columbia and continued to work in television and film. He splits his time between Vancouver and Los Angeles. Don McKellar as Horowitz Don McKellar was born in Canada and has had a varied career as a writer, director and actor. He was the screenwriter of ROADKILL and HIGHWAY 61, and co-writer of DANCE ME OUTSIDE, the Genie Award-winning THIRTY TWO SHORT FILMS ABOUT GLENN GOULD and THE RED VIOLIN (he also appeared in the latter two). He received a Genie Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role in Atom Egoyan s EXOTICA and the Prix de la Jeunesse at Cannes for his directorial debut, LAST NIGHT, which he also wrote and starred in. He also wrote, directed and played the lead in his second film, CHILDSTAR. His stage writing credits include the five plays he co-created with the Augusta Company and the book for the musical The Drowsy Chaperone, for which he won a Tony Award. He also wrote and starred in the CBC television series Twitch City. Other film and television appearances include David Cronenberg s EXISTENZ, Atom Egoyan s WHERE THE TRUTH LIES and the series Slings and Arrows for the Sundance Channel. He collaborated on the film adaptation of Jose Saramago s Nobel Prize-winning novel BLINDNESS. Directed by Fernando Mereilles, he also starred with Julianne Moore, Gael Garcia Bernal and Mark Ruffalo. He recently directed the Max Films feature THE GRAND SEDUCTION starring Brendan Gleeson and Taylor Kitsch. And directed and executive produced the series Michael: Tuesday & Thursdays for CBC and Sensative Skin for TMN. Jennifer Irwin as Marissa Jennifer Irwin is a phenomenal performer and writer. She starred in the pilot Rita, Bravo s first scripted series, and can be seen recurring in both ABC s The Goldbergs and the Canadian series Working with the Engles. She was a series regular in HBO s Eastbound and Down starring Danny McBride, playing the role of Cassie Powers, as well as alongside Christian Slater in Fox s Breaking In as the character Creepy Carol. She was nominated for the 2013 ACTRA Award and the 2013 Canadian Screen Award for her performance in the CBC series "Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays". She was also nominated for numerous other Canadian comedy awards for her performance in the internationally beloved Canadian miniseries Slings and Arrows, the hit series Less Than Kind and the film SUPERSTAR. As a member of Toronto s famed Second City Troupe for 4 years, she wrote 5 productions, all of which were nominated for the Dora Awards for best writing and best performance. Jennifer employed her theatrical writing skills again by creating and co-writing the role of Kitty in the original cast of award winning musical "The Drowsy Chaperone" at Toronto s Elgin Theatre, which went on to win 5 Tony Awards, including best book in 2006. It premiered in all major cities including Sydney (Starring Geoffrey Rush), London and Los Angeles, as well as numerous world tours.
For 4 years, Jennifer Irwin played Linda Michaels on CBS "Still Standing" and had starred in numerous other TV shows, including "Inside Schwartz" on NBC and "The Ellen Show" on CBS. She s also had guest appearances on shows such as "Raising Hope", "Lie to Me", "Party Down", and recently "Less Than Kind", for which she was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award. Jennifer starred as Holly Hunter s best friend in Showtime s "Harlan County War" and played the role of Jane Curtain in the ABC movie of the week, THE GILDA RADNER STORY. Jennifer s film credits include BAD TEACHER for Columbia, starring Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz. Paramount s NO STRINGS ATTACHED, directed by Ivan Reitman. She can also be seen in Warner Bros. EXIT WOUNDS, Paramount s SUPERSTAR, and Universal s BLUES BROTHERS 2000, directed by John Landis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Jennifer received an English degree from McGill University. She currently resides in Los Angeles, with her husband and two sons. Michael Eklund as Moustache Guy Michael Eklund is known for disappearing into every role and radically transforming his look for each new character. Last year Michael terrified audiences with his performance in THE CALL, where he starred opposite Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin. Directed by Brad Anderson, THE CALL is a thriller in which a 911 operator has to confront a killer (Eklund) from her past. Also recently Michael starred in the film ERRORS OF THE HUMAN BODY, a psychological thriller/drama set and shot in Dresden, Germany, which was written and directed by Eron Sheean. Michael was awarded the best actor award at the LEOS and at the SXSW festival in Texas for his amazing performance. Past notable roles for Michael include the role of Bobby in THE DIVIDE directed by Xavier Gens with a brilliant cast including Michael Biehn and Rosanna Arquette. Michael also starred in THE DAY, an apocalyptic siege warfare film spanning 24 hrs during which a small group of survivors are pit against insurmountable odds. Doug Aarniokoski directs. Another recent release is FEROCIOUS in which he is reunited with writer/director Robert Cuffley. Michael's films have had international acclaim, including THE MAKING OF PLUS ONE, which debuted at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Eklund garnered a 2008 Leo award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for his work on WALK ALL OVER ME, written and directed by Robert Cuffley, which had its premiere at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. Other feature credits include 88 MINUTES with Al Pacino, THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS, GUNLESS and THE ENTRANCE. Upcoming releases include the title role in the Untitled Eadweard Muybridge movie as well as the thriller POKER NIGHT, directed by Greg Francis and starring Ron Perlman, Titius Welliver and Giancarlo Esposito. Michael most recently wrapped on films MR. RIGHT with Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick, INTO THE FOREST with Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood and THE CONFIRMATION with Clive Owen.
Television appearances include guest starring or recurring roles on Gotham, Bates Motel Season 2, Almost Human, Alcatraz, Fringe, Intelligence, The Bridge, Caprica, Flashpoint, Battlestar Galatica, and Movie Television s critically acclaimed Terminal City. About the creative team Pedro Morelli, Director Pedro Morelli, 29, has a degree in Film and Television Studies from the prestigious University of São Paulo, where he specialized in soundtracks and directing. In 2009, Pedro took a continuing studies course at Maine Media College, an American school specializing in cinematography. Pedro has directed the short films: WATCH YOUR BACK (2006), ONE MORE NIGHT (2009), INTERACTION (2010), and THE CAGE (2012); in addition to having co-directed the feature film BETWEEN US, (2013), which won 3 awards at the Rio Film Festival and was shown in Official Competition at the Rome and Havana Film Festivals. Pedro s last project was the TV series Edgar s Tales, that he created and directed based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe, and which aired on Fox in Brazil. Matt Hansen, Screenwriter ZOOM is Matt Hansen's first screenwriting credit for a feature film, though he has a strong writing background. Hansen has also worked in the film industry for over ten years in distribution and international film sales. He began in the comic book world, having adapted and edited graphic novels based on award-winning authors like George RR Martin, Raymond E. Feist, Orson Scott Card, or top properties like THE TRANSFORMERS and GI JOE. Adrian Teijido, Cinematographer Adrian was born in Buenos Aires and is a Lithuanian citizen and resident of São Paulo, Brazil. He began his career in Advertising, where he worked as a camera assistant. After having lived in New York and Los Angeles, he came back to Brazil as Cinematographer in Advertising, TV and Cinema. Adrian has worked on over 500 commercials for different clients. He has also worked on many TV Series, among them:, "Filhos do Carnaval" - HBO), Capitu (TV Globo), Suburbia (TV Globo), Afinal, o que querem as mulheres? (TV Globo), Felizes para Sempre? (TV Globo); in addition to at least ten feature length films: BOCA DO LIXO (TRASH MOUTH) - directed by Flavio Frederico, O PALHAÇO (THE CLOWN) - directed by Selton Mello, GONZAGA - DE PAI PARA FILHO - directed by Breno Silveira, A BUSCA (FATHER'S CHAIR) - directed by Luciano Moura, among others. Elisa Sauvé, Production Design Elisa is a production design professional who fancies herself a world-builder - an artist, truly, who relishes in creating the perfect mood to suit a project. She hails from Buenos Aires, where she studied the plastic arts, art history and the performing arts, and has continued to hone her unrelenting curiosity and imagination through stints in New York and Toronto. Naturally, she
views her diverse art background as the logical predecessor to her film work, in which she showcases an ability to manufacture settings ranging from the impossible to the commonplace. Elisa s unique approach to production design as a 3-D canvas is readily apparent in her work. Her resume boasts a variety of projects, ranging from long-form television and film credits to commercial advertising credits. Her most recent film credit is the genre bending feature film ZOOM, directed by Pedro Morelli, produced by Rhombus Media and starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Allison Pill. Prior to that she worked on the Adam Massey helmed thriller THE INTRUDERS, which was produced by Darius Films. Elisa also designed THE BOY WHO SMELLS LIKE FISH, which made its world premiere at the Miami International Film Festival. Other film credits include UNLUCKY, DEATH BY SCRABBLE, INTERVIEW WITH MY NEXT GIRLFRIEND and WHEN SHE COMES BACK. Elisa is also a very successful production designer in commercials, contributing to hundreds of spots for clients both national and international, which earned over 30 awards. Most recently, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television with a Gemini Award Nomination recognized her for Best Production Design for the television series Everyday Exotic for which she had previously won a best Design Gold Remy from the Houston International Film Festival. Among her factual television credits are Bake, The Main and Fresh! With Anna Olson. Elisa s reputation as an aesthetic master reaches beyond the film industry, as she was also tabbed to design two swanky Toronto restaurants: The Oxley and The Queen and Beaver Public House. Lucas Gonzaga, editor Lucas, 37, was born in Porto Alegre (Brazil) and began working with editing in 2001. His career began in advertising, where he has worked on over 500 campaigns with directors like Fernando Meirelles, Nando Olival, Luciano Moura, Rodrigo Pesavento, Zé Pedro Goulart, Heitor Dhalia, Cao Hamburger, Christiano Metri and many others. Among the main clients for whom he has edited are Honda, GM, Nike, Coke, McDonalds and FORD. Many of the campaigns won awards in Brazil and abroad. His television experience includes the series "Filhos do Carnaval" for HBO directed by Cao Hamburger, "Som e Fúria" for TV Globo directed by Fernando Meirelles, "Destino: São Paulo" for HBO directed by Fabio Mendonça and "Contos do Edgar" for FOX directed by Alex Gabassi. Finally, Lucas has edited over 20 short films, in addition to the features A BUSCA (FATHER'S CHAIR), by Luciano Moura, which premiered at Sundance; DOIS COELHOS (TWO RABBITS) by Alfonso Poyart (which won the Best Editing award at the 2013 Cinema Brazil Grand Prize), ENTRE NÓS (BETWEEN US) by Paulo Morelli (which premiered at the Rime Festival) and SOLACE for New Line Cinema, also by Alfonso Poyart and starring Anthony Hopkins and Colin Farrell. Kid Koala, Original Music Kid Koala is a world-renowned scratch DJ, music producer, and award winning graphic novelist. He has released four solo albums on Ninja Tune the most recent being 12 bit Blues. He has
released two graphic novels: Nufonia Must Fall and Space Cadet. He has also been involved in collaborations such as Gorillaz, Deltron 3030, and The Slew. Kid Koala has toured with the likes of Radiohead, the Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire, Money Mark, A Tribe Called Quest, Mike Patton, DJ Shadow, and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He has contributed to scores for the films Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Looper and The Great Gatsby. He has composed music for The National Film Board of Canada, the Cartoon Network, Sesame Street, and Adult Swim. He has also been commissioned to create music for runway shows for Belgian fashion designer Dries Van Noten. Kid Koala s unforgettable live shows range from silly touring turntable carnivals like Short Attention Span Theater (featuring turntable bingo) and Vinyl Vaudeville (including puppets and dancers) to quiet-time events like Music To Draw To, his Space Cadet Headphone Experience and most recently, Nufonia Must Fall Live. He lives in Montreal with his wife and two daughters. Niv Fichman, Producer Niv Fichman is one of the founding partners of Rhombus Media in Toronto. The company s 30- year history has yielded a rich compilation of feature films, documentaries, performing art films and series television. Their dedication to excellence is reflected in the awards their projects have garnered: an Oscar, seven Emmys, numerous Genies, Geminis and Screen Awards, Golden Pragues as well as a Golden Rose of Montreux and a Prix Italia. Niv s most recent project is ZOOM (2015), a multi-dimensional interface between a comic book artist, a novelist and a film director. This is the first feature film directed by Pedro Morelli and the second international co-production between Rhombus Media and Brazil s O2 Filmes. His other films include Denis Villeneuve s ENEMY (2013) starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon and Isabella Rossellini, which had its world premiere at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival; OUR MAN IN TEHRAN (2013), a documentary exploring Canada s role during the 1979 hostage crisis in Iran; ANTIVIRAL (2012) starring Caleb Landry Jones, which had its world premiere at this year s Cannes Film Festival, becoming one of the most talked about films at the festival; HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN (2011) starring Rutger Hauer, exploded onto the scene premiering in the Sundance Festival s midnight section; Fernando Meirelles' adaptation of Nobel Laureate Jose Saramago's BLINDNESS (2008), written by Don McKellar and starring Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, and Gael Garcia Bernal opened the 2008 Cannes Film Festival; Paul Gross' World War I romantic epic PASSCHENDAELE (2008) was the top grossing Canadian film of 2008 and received the Best Picture Genie. Niv is currently completing postproduction on Sensative Skin (2014), a new TV series by Don McKellar starring Kim Cattrall, as well as McKellar himself. Fichman has previously produced films for renowned directors such as François Girard, Olivier Assayas, Guy Maddin, Don McKellar, Peter Mettler, Peter Wellington, Kevin McMahon, Marc Evans, as well as his partners at Rhombus Media Larry Weinstein and Barbara Willis Sweete. Other selected feature films include THE RED VIOLIN, THIRTY TWO SHORT FILMS ABOUT GLENN GOULD, LAST NIGHT, THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD, CLEAN, SNOWCAKE and SILK. Selected television projects include Slings and Arrows, Yo-Yo Ma: Inspired by Bach, September Songs and Le Dortoir. In June 2007, Niv Fichman was named the Canadian Producer of the Year by the CFTPA and was honoured by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association in 2011.
Andrea Barata Ribeiro, producer Andrea Barata is, alongside Fernando Meirelles and Paulo Morelli, founding partner of O2 Filmes, and has been named one of the five most influential producers in the world by Variety magazine. Andrea has produced a myriad of feature films, among them the award winning CIDADE DE DEUS (CITY OF GOD); NÃO POR ACASO (NOT BY CHANCE); CIDADE DOS HOMENS (CITY OF MEN); DOMÉSTICAS (MAIDS), CONTRA TODOS; VIVA VOZ (SPEAKER PHONE); ANTONIA; ENSAIO SOBRE A CEGUEIRA (BLINDNESS); À DERIVA (ADRIFT) and XINGU. She has also produced numerous TV series such as "Cidade dos Homens" (City of Men); "Antonia" and "Som e Fúria" (Sound and Fury), A Mulher do Prefeito and Felizes Para Sempre all for TV Globo. As well as the International Emmy nominee "Filhos do Carnaval" (Sons of Carnival) - ; "Destino: Rio de Janeiro"; "Destino: São Paulo" and "A Vaga" for HBO. And Contos do Edgar ("Edgar's Tales") for FOX. Among her most recent works are the feature films; A NOITE DA VIRADA (NEW YEAR S EVE) released in December 2014 and MALASARTES set to be released in mid 2016 The Acabdemy Award nominee LIXO EXTRAORDINÁRIO (WASTE LAND) and the series "DESTINO: SALVADOR of the Destino series for HBO. Fernando Meirelles, Executive Producer Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Fernando Meirelles studied Architecture at The University of São Paulo- and started directing independent TV shows during the 80 s. In the 90 s, he took on TV commercials, In 1997, he had his first feature film experience by co-directing the kid s movie THE WACKY WACKY BOY alongside Fabrizia Pinto. In 2000 he shot the feature MAIDS, with Nando Olival. After that, came CITY OF GOD, a film that won over 52 awards and four Academy Award nominations including: Best Director. At that point, Fernando had established himself as a producer and director. In 2004 he shot THE CONSTANT GARDENER, a British independent production shot in Germany, England and Kenya. The feature was released in 2005 and Fernando was nominated for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for Best Director In 2007, he directed thecanadian/japanese/brazilian co-production, BLINDNESS, a film based on the novel by José Saramago which premiered in Toronto. In 2009, Fernando adapted the Canadian miniseries Slings and Arrows for a Brazilian television channel. 360 was his last feature film, a British/French/Austrian co-production, which premiered in September 2012. 2014 was a busy year for Fernando in which he directed the TV series "Felizes Para Sempre?" and "Os Experientes, both for TV Globo.
Paulo Morelli Executive Producer São Paulo born Paulo Morelli has always been a forward thinker. In the 80 s, he founded Olhar Eletronico a production company that established itself as a reference in independent productions. In the 90 s, Morelli, Fernando Meirelles and Andrea Ribeiro founded O2 Filmes. After directing commercials and TV shows, he began making short and feature-length films. His first short, LÁPIDE, won Best Film at the Havana, Los Angeles, Rio and São Paulo Film Festivals. Between the years of 1999 and 2002, he directed two feature films THE PRICE OF PEACE (Best Film by Popular Jury at the Gramado Film Festival, 2003) and SPEAKER PHONE (Best International Film at the New York Independent Film Festival). For TV, Paulo headed the "Ethics" series at TV Cultura which focused on Brazil s greatest intellectuals. He also directed and wrote four episodes for "City of Men", a series broadcast on Rede Globo for four seasons. In 2006, Paulo shot CITY OF MEN which was released in 2007, and participated in the London Film Festival and the Berlinale Generation Exhibition in the Berlin Film Festival. CITY OF MEN was distributed in the USA by Miramax. Between the years of 2008 and 2010, Paulo developed 8 new feature-length screenplays focusing on various aspects of Brazilian culture. In 2014, Paulo released BETWEEN US, a feature film that he both wrote and directed. He recently shot both a TV series Felizes Para Sempre? and the feature film MALASARTES which he both wrote and directed. Sari Friedland, Co-Producer For the past three decades, Sari Friedland has been an integral member of the Canadian film and television community, having contributed to some of its most highly praised and well-loved projects. Her credits include the groundbreaking Degrassi series, Liberty Street and Riverdale for Playing with Time and Epitome Pictures. For Rhombus Media, Friedland produced the touching-funny-smart drama series Slings and Arrows which, in its third and final season, captured a record breaking 14 Gemini nominations. Slings and Arrows received the Best Dramatic Series Gemini twice. Other television credits include Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays and Sensitive Skin also for Rhombus, Little Films About Big Moments and the Gemini-winning pilot An American In Canada. Currently for Rhombus, Friedland is producing the second seasons of both Sensitive Skin and Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friedland is particularly proud of her achievement in co-producing BLINDNESS for Rhombus Media. Based on the novel by Portuguese Nobel Prize laureate José Saramago, starring Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo and directed by Brazilian Fernando Meirelles (CITY OF GOD, THE CONSTANT GARDNER), the feature opened the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.